You may have noticed PGA Tour pros Keegan Bradley
and
Graeme McDowell have traded in their Cleveland
bags for bags with the sporty Srixon logo on the
side. And it's not just the Srixon ball they are
promoting -- both players have lined up most of their
arsenal with Srixon branded equipment, like the Z-
745 irons. (Srixon, if you didn't know, is the parent
company of Cleveland Golf.)

Their wedges, however, still carry the Cleveland
brand. And as you would expect, these short game
tools are built for them to
order and customized to their liking whenever
the need arises.

Cleveland is now offering that level of
customization
to the rest of us.

Cleveland Golf plans to launch what could
be called a "tour van experience in a website"
before the end of the month. They aren't
the first company to do this -- Vokey Wedgeworks started in
2010 and Cleveland's former CEO Greg Hopkins now
runs custom wedge company Hopkins
Golf -- but their attention to detail and options
on their new microsite show that they intend to keep
the historic
Cleveland brand relevant in the wedge market.

The new microsite, My Custom
Wedge, encourages the avid amateur
golfer to purchase Cleveland's latest line of 588 RTX 2.0 wedges
and customize them to their heart's content. The
wedges, which are offered in two finishes - Black
Satin or Raw (which many pro golfers prefer)
- are available in all standard lofts (from 48 to
60 degrees). How you choose to upgrade the
look of those wedges and adjust the
performance to best suit your needs is totally
up to you.

“Our goal is to give the consumer the
same type of custom options that a
professional player can get through the tour
van experience,” says Adam Sheldon, Brand
Manager for Cleveland Golf. “This year we’ve
worked with Keegan and Graeme on some of
their wedges and those configurations will be
available online as far as being able to offer
the same customization.”

A
custom-designed Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0
wedge

The original microsite which launched in
2013 let golfers personalize paint fills,
stampings and skins. The revamped website
expands on those selections significantly:

Several new skins (laser etchings
that cover the entire wedge) are being
offered

Two new areas to inscribe your
initials, three total locations (back flange, toe
and center)

Updated library of different logos to
add detail to your wedges

In addition to adjusting the look of your
wedges, the My Custom Wedge site lets
customers choose from a variety of sole
grinds. Cleveland’s narrow-to-wide grind
configuration (1 dot, 2 dot, 3 dot) is a
standard offering on most 588 RXT 2.0
wedges, depending on loft and bounce.
Customers can order a wedge with a standard
grind or pick from a full range of specialized
grinds that focus on either heel or toe bias.

If for whatever reason you’re still not
impressed, Cleveland Golf is releasing a new
60-degree wide sole wedge. It’s based on a
prototype played by the company’s
ambassadors on tour and will only be
available to purchase from the microsite.

“It’s definitely something we’ve seen
gain momentum out on tour,” says Sheldon.
“The advantage of a wide sole is that of
having more surface area in contact with the
turf conditions. When you talk about wide
soles in that type of loft, the player is looking
for some versatility and enough bounce to
stop any digging in different conditions,
whether they be grass or sand.”

The 588
RTX 2.0 wide sole wedge is available only on
the microsite

Sheldon expects the new microsite to be
a huge hit with Cleveland club junkies who
know their wedge specs inside and out. The
real challenge, he admitted, is to get the
average customer who purchases an off-the-rack
wedge to invest the time and money to
get fitted for a custom model.

To that end, Cleveland Golf is
introducing their Wedge Analyzer fitting
system this year. The analyzer is made up of
a Cleveland Fitting Wedge outfitted with a
lightweight (approximately 1 oz.) Swingbyte
motion analysis sensor permanently affixed
just below the grip.

Cleveland's wedge analyzer
renders a motion analysis of your
swing

During the fitting process, the sensor
transmits data via Bluetooth to a computer or
iPad. The information generates a 3-D
rendering of the swing and calculates key
metrics like attack angle and shaft lean at
impact. The data collected helps a qualified
fitter find the optimum bounce and sole grind
for any golfer, regardless of their swing shape
or playing style.

“There has always been a lot of
confusion in the marketplace about bounce
and sole grinds on wedges,” says Sheldon.
“The wedge analyzer is going to open up more
knowledge to the average golfer so that they
can understand more about bounce and grind.
Once they have the correct understanding
about what’s best for their game, they can
take it a step further by personalizing their
wedges.”

Cleveland Golf plans to roll out a
comprehensive marketing campaign around
both the My Custom Wedge site and the
Wedge Analyzer. Their new fitting system will
be available worldwide at major big box
retailers and select authorized dealers. Any
wedge ordered from the microsite takes up to
two weeks to be delivered, but many orders,
according to Sheldon, can take as little as two
days to be fulfilled.

Some
telling facts about the importance of your
short game

The goal is to make the process of
wedge fitting simple and enjoyable for
everyone. The new microsite is a natural
extension of that process, encouraging golfers
to get creative with what Sheldon believes is a
very important, and personal piece of
equipment.

“We quote that 65 percent of shots are
played from 125 yards and in - that’s a huge
part of your game,” says Sheldon. “If you look
at the best players in the world they dial in
their wedges specifically for themselves. And I
think it’s critical that you get the right kind of
equipment - personal equipment - for your
short game.”